The Haunted Mansion
by nickelback2001
Summary: When Elena's truck dies in the middle of nowhere, she is helped by a stranger named Damon. He gives her shelter at his antebellum estate, but all of these strange occurrences keep on happening to her that she can't explain. Damon is definitely hiding something from her...
1. Chapter 1

Elena moaned in frustration and smacked her hands on the steering wheel of her dad's old pickup truck. _This was not happening._ She repeatedly twisted the key in the ignition to no avail, but the truck would no longer roar to life. _Ugh, the battery was dead._ She hopped out and took in her surroundings. Elena was in the middle of nowhere is the Virginia countryside. The sun was starting to set-painting the sky with its beautiful orange and pink colors. She grimaced at its beauty-it was getting darker by the minute and she was all alone. Elena thought about calling her ex, Stefan, who lived about a half an hour away from her current location. She looked down at her phone screen-no service. Elena stared up at the sky in disdain, why did the universe have to be playing jokes on her now?

She sighed and started walking. Hopefully, there was a gas station nearby that she could call someone from. Five minutes went by and Elena felt something-a raindrop. _This day could literally not get any worse. _She picked up her pace, but she could not outrun the impending storm. Within a minute, sheets of rain fell from the sky and thoroughly soaked Elena to the bone. She shivered in her thin, long sleeve shirt. Her teeth began to chatter. If she didn't find shelter soon, Elena didn't know what would happen. She began to turn back and take solace in the dead pickup truck, but she saw something in the distance that caught her eye-a house.

Elena started sprinting to the house, wiping away the rain that clouded her vision. Her lungs were heaving, but she made it to the ten foot, cast iron gate which to Elena's dismay was locked. She sighed. She should have just gone back to her truck when she had the chance. Elena sat down in the wet, dead grass, and let her back rest against one of the brick pillars that supported the iron gate. Against her control, tears poured from her eyes. She was alone-in the dark and in the rain-and she had no cell service whatsoever. _Could the universe play any more nasty tricks on her?_ She rested her face in her hands and tried to steady her emotions. Suddenly, she heard a creak-_could that be…?_

Elena twisted her face around and stared at the gate in astonishment. _It was open_. Had someone heard her cries? She stood up and looked for her savior-there was no one there. She brushed off the weird happening-surely, there were many scientific explanations for why the gate would open on its own. At the moment, Elena couldn't care. All she wanted was shelter from the October chill that froze her bones. She stepped through the gate and stared at the sight before her in amazement. Standing before Elena was a huge plantation mansion, straight out of the movie _Gone With the Wind. _It was three stories tall, with white siding, marble pillars, and a grand staircase complete with cast iron rails. The inside of the house was dark, but she blinked and suddenly the inside was lit up. _Huh, that was weird._ Her eyes must be playing tricks on her-maybe she was hallucinating from the onset of hypothermia. Again, Elena shrugged off the weird experience and made her way up the stairs. She paused at the set of grand wooden double doors then hesitantly knocked, unsure of who would greet her.

The doors slowly opened, revealing the most gorgeous man Elena had ever seen. He had tousled, raven hair that Elena had a strange urge to run her fingers through. His black button down was tight enough to show off his defined chest and arms. His skin was pale in a way that reminded her of moonlight. He had a square jaw, and his lips were twisted in a devilish grin. But Elena's favorite part of this stranger were his eyes-she had never seen eyes quite like his before. They were an icy blue, but they held such a depth in them Elena was sure she was going to drown. His eyes bore into her warm brown ones, and she felt a flicker of electricity rush through her body, causing her to shiver-_but not from the cold. _

"Would you like to come in?"

"Thanks, I'm sorry to intrude, but my truck died and…"

He stopped her, "It's no problem. As you can see I have plenty of room here."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it…" she trailed off, not knowing his name.

"Damon. And you are…"

"Elena."

"Well Elena, come in and I'll give you the grand tour."

Elena stepped inside and marveled at the beauty of the house. Crystal chandeliers lit the rooms, persian rugs decorated the floors, and there was marble _everywhere._ Damon led her into his bedroom and lent her one of his button downs to wear in place of her soaked clothes. Hanging on the wall was a large painting depicting a man who looked like Damon, but in attire from the nineteenth century.

"Is that you?" she asked him curiously.

He scratched the back of his head, in almost a nervous way. "That's actually my great-great-great grandfather. This was originally his plantation, and it's been passed down in my family since."

They continued the tour, Damon showed her the library, the ballroom, the formal dining room, and all ten bedrooms. Elena touched the doorknob of the next room.

"What's in here?"

The nervous look returned to his features. "Oh, that's just storage. Quite boring actually."

Elena dropped it, but there was definitely something more that Damon was hiding. _Who knows, maybe that's where he keeps the dead bodies of his victims, he is a stranger after all. _She shook herself out of her thoughts. Although Damon was a stranger, she oddly trusted him. There was just something about him that felt eerily familiar to Elena-she couldn't put her finger on it.

They made it back to the row of bedrooms, and Damon stopped in front of one of them, looking like he was reminiscing about something.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, well this will be your room. I'm only a call away if you need something."

"Thanks, Damon."

He nodded in acknowledgement and walked into his room with a look on his face that Elena couldn't quite understand-a mixture of nostalgia, worry, and happiness all at once. She walked into her room and took in her surroundings. The room certainly looked unchanged from the nineteenth century. There was a four post bed with a mattress stuffed with feathers. All of the furniture was mahogany, and the only light was the oil lamp sitting on the nightstand. The strange part was that even though all of the furniture was from the 1800s, _it looked almost brand new._ Was Damon really into restoring the old house and keeping it historically accurate or was something else happening here? Elena pushed away her thoughts and let sleep overtake her.


	2. Chapter 2

_Elena was running. From what, she wasn't sure. She just knew instinctively that she shouldn't look behind her. Suddenly, she tripped and was headed face first for the marble floor. Elena caught herself and looked down at the culprit-her slipper got caught on the hoop skirt underneath her blue satin ball gown. She lifted her skirts and kept on running. She dashed through corridor after corridor, trying to lose her potential attacker. Elena jiggled the knobs of every door, but they were all locked. Finally, she found an unlocked one and sprinted in, locking the door behind her. She rested her back against the mahogany door and breathed out a sigh of relief-she was safe. Elena felt the door shudder-someone was trying to break in. She panicked and searched around the darkness, looking for a weapon. But it was too late. The door slammed open and she was knocked into unconsciousness._

Elena woke up with a start. The dream was so vivid, it was like she was really living it, or she had already lived it before…

She slowly sat up and took in her surroundings. She was surrounded by antique furniture...the events of last night suddenly came back to her-her truck dying, the rain, meeting Damon. _Damon-the handsome, familiar stranger. _Whose shirt she was currently wearing. Elena wasn't sure why, but just the thought of wearing his shirt sent a feeling of warmth inside her. There was just something about him that felt oddly comforting to her.

She stepped outside of her makeshift bedroom in search of him. Her question was answered by the aroma of bacon filling her nose. Elena padded around the mansion until she came across the kitchen. Unaware of her presence, Damon stood there shirtless, skillet in hand, humming an unfamiliar tune to himself. _God, he looked sexy-the muscles in his back contracting with each movement…_

Elena shook herself out of her thoughts. "Hey…"

He turned and smiled. "Hey...how did you sleep?"

"Like a baby," Elena lied, "Thanks for letting me stay the night, I promise I'll get out of your hair soon."

Damon's smile faded and twisted into a frown, "It's no problem. Let me serve you breakfast first."

They sat down together in the formal dining room and ate in silence for a few minutes.

"So, where were you headed?" Damon asked her.

"Nowhere really...I guess I was just trying to run away from my problems. All of this pressure from work, my friends, and my family just started to pile on to me, and I just needed to get out for awhile. Until my truck broke down." She laughed.

"Well, this is going to sound crazy because I just met you, and if you say yes to this I'm going to think you're insane, but…...would you like to stay here for the week? It's nice having someone else around in this huge house."

Elena thought about Damon's offer for a second. He was right-he is a stranger, so she shouldn't trust him. But she met his icy blue eyes and sincerity shone through them. Damn, she couldn't say no to those eyes.

"Yeah, I would like that, Damon."

A grin from ear to ear stretched across Damon's face, and Elena knew that she had made the right decision.

"Well, what would you like to do today, Elena?"

"Hmmm...I want to go explore some more today. Maybe a grand tour part two?"

"As you wish." His lips formed a crooked smile, and his eyes radiated happiness.

They got appropriately dressed for the cold October morning, Elena putting on her now clean clothes and one of Damon's coats, and headed outside for the tour of the grounds. Damon led her through the gardens, the stables, the old tobacco fields, and the hedge maze. They walked side by side the entire time, their fingers occasionally brushing against each other-jolts of electricity running up Elena's arms at each touch. They reached a river at the edge of the plantation, and Damon stopped.

"This was my favorite spot as a kid. My brother and I used to play in the water during the summers while Mother would yell at us that we were getting dirty." He stared wistfully at the water in deep nostalgia.

"How come it's only you living here? Where's your brother now?"

"He's...been gone for awhile now." Damon told her, watching his wording.

"I'm so sorry, Damon." Elena said, her eyes softening.

"It's ok, it was a long time ago," he took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles softly, "Shall we?"

All of the nerves in Elena's body tingled at his touch. "Yeah, I'm getting a bit cold."

They walked hand in hand back to the house, and Damon went straight to work, making a roaring fire in the grand fireplace. The two of them sat huddled in front of the fire for the next few hours, exchanging childhood memories and their favorite things.

"And that's how I broke both of my arms. I looked so weird with two casts on." Elena laughed.

She briefly looked down, and Damon brushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Elena looked back up and met his burning gaze. The air was thick with tension. He took her hand in hers and gently intertwined it with his. _It just felt right._ Warmth spread throughout Elena, and all of her nerves were set on fire. Her heart pounded, and her head felt fuzzy-she felt entranced by Damon's presence. His fingers trailed up her forearms, tracing her veins. Elena couldn't take it anymore, she was going to combust if she didn't touch him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed the gap between them, her lips crushing his in a searing kiss. Her need for him was so strong that Elena had practically tackled him to the ground. They both laughed, and Damon molded his lips back to hers. She lightly bit his lower lip, asking for entrance, and Damon granted it. Their tongues intertwined, exploring each other's mouths. Elena began to circle her hips against his, and she felt him harden underneath her. All of the sudden, she was pinned under Damon-his icy blue eyes almost black with lust. He pulled her into a searing kiss that was somehow even more passionate than before. Her hands explored his body, feeling the strong muscles that lay underneath his shirt-_it needed to come off_. She tugged at the hem, and Damon got the message, revealing the rippling muscles that teased her this morning. Elena then pulled off her own and unhooked her bra-leaving them skin to skin. He pulled her body close to his, and she reveled in the sensation of their bare skin against each other. Damon began to tease her-he kissed down her body, leaving her skin on fire from each point of contact. She felt herself become more slick with each touch, and he hadn't even gotten _there_ yet. Elena wasn't sure if stand his teasing anymore-_her body needed him just like it needed air to breathe. _She surprised him and almost attacked him again, pinning him under her. She managed to remove both of their jeans, and there was nothing left to separate their bodies. Elena coated his length with her slickness and slowly sunk down on him, causing them both to cry out in pleasure. She rolled her hips around him in a steady rhythm, and Damon began kneading her breasts, causing Elena to moan his name.

"_God, Damon. Please fuck me," _she panted.

Almost instantaneously, Damon had Elena underneath him, her legs wrapped around his shoulders. He thrusted in and out of her at almost inhuman speeds, causing Elena's legs to shake violently from all of the pleasure.

"_I'm close," _ Elena moaned.

"_Me too."_

Damon reached between their bodies, and rubbed circles around her bundle of nerves-this sent her over the edge. She screamed out his name, and her walls tightened around him-taking him with her.

They slowly came down from their high, but their bodies stayed close together. Elena rested her head on his chest, and his fingers drew circles on her lower back. She twisted her head around to kiss him and slowly got up.

"I'm going to go freshen myself up. Stay right there."

"Yes, ma'am."

Elena passed the corner and walked down the hallway of bedrooms, searching for the bathroom. She passed the room that Damon said was "storage" and stopped. Letting her curiosity get ahead of her, she twisted the doorknob, finding the room to be unlocked. He wasn't lying-the room was full of storage-but the storage was strange. The room was littered with antique mementos that obviously belonged to a woman-there were ball gowns, handheld mirrors, hair combs, and a lot more. Could they possibly belong to his great-great-great grandmother? She looked around the room some more, looking for something that could reveal the items' owner. On the nightstand, she found a picture laying underneath a stack of books. She pulled it out and inspected it, having to take a few steps back at the sight of its contents. Written on the photo was the name Katherine, and the photo itself was of a girl _who looked_ _exactly like Elena._


	3. Chapter 3

Elena gathered her bearings and walked out of the room, shutting the door a little too hard behind her. She found the bathroom, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. How was this possible? How could this Katherine woman look exactly like her? Surely, there had to be a logical explanation for this, but Elena couldn't come up with one. Katherine could still be Damon's many greats grandmother, but how strange is it that Elena looked exactly like her? And that Damon looks exactly like his great-great-great grandfather…

She managed to make it back to the living room where Damon was waiting for her. She curled back up into his strong arms and her mind continued to reel with all of the possibilities that would explain her link to Katherine. If Katherine was just Damon's great-great-great grandmother, why would he hide her stuff from Elena?

"So, Damon, tell me more about your great-great-great grandfather. Did he have a wife?"

"Well, he was obviously very handsome. And he did have a wife, but she had a tragic end-she was murdered shortly after they were wed by one of her past suitors." Damon said and hugged Elena closer to his body.

"Spooky. What was her name?"

"_Katherine."_

Elena inadvertently shivered at the name. So, Katherine was Damon's great-great-great grandfather's first wife which explained her stuff being in the storage room. What it didn't explain was why did Elena look exactly like her?

Laying in Damon's arms in front of the fire, she felt a heaviness pull on her eyelids and they drifted shut. Her thoughts escaped her as she snuggled her head more into his muscular chest. There was no heartbeat to be heard. How strange…

_Elena was holding a bouquet of wildflowers in one hand; the other held on to the man escorting her. Unfamiliar faces lined the pews of the chapel, looking at her with adoration. Her and the man made it to the end of the aisle, and he placed her hands into those of the man who was waiting for her. She looked up at his face and was met with icy blue eyes-eyes that belong to Damon. _

"_I, Damon, take you, Katherine, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death." Happiness radiated from his eyes._

_Elena felt her lips move, "I, Katherine, take you, Damon, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death."_

_The pastor announced that they were now husband and wife. The two of them reached for each other at the same time, and they met in the middle in a passionate kiss. Applause filled the chapel, and Damon and Elena pulled away, their eyes never leaving the other._

"_I love you," he whispered to her._

"_I love you, too."_

_The rest of the night was a blur-they drank, they ate, they danced-over and over again. After dancing with what felt like every single guest, Elena finally made it back into Damon's arms. She rested her head against his shoulder as they swayed from side to side. _

_He stroked her hair, "God, Katherine. I love you so much."_

Elena woke up dazed and confused. In her dream, Damon had kept on calling her _Katherine..._did her mind completely make up the entire wedding based off of what Damon had told her earlier? _No, it couldn't have-it had felt too real, every kiss, every touch…_

Damon looked down at her with concerned eyes, "Are you ok, Elena?"

"Yeah, I think so...actually I keep on having these weird dreams here. Sorta like I've been reliving a past life. I know it sounds crazy…"

He rubbed circles on her arm in comfort. "I don't think you're crazy if that makes you feel better."

"Tell me more about Katherine."

Damon's eyes turned nostalgic. "She was very beautiful-every man wanted to be her suitor. She had this fire and passion for life, it wasn't hard for my great-great-great grandfather to fall in love with her. I imagine."

"Damon, I found the photo of her. Why do I look exactly like her? And why did you hide it from me?"

"Honestly, I don't know why you look like her. And the reason I didn't tell you was that I knew it would freak you out, and I didn't want you to run for the hills. I think I'm falling in love with you, Elena."

Elena's eyes softened at his words. She took his face in his hands and crushed her lips against his in a searing kiss. She pulled back and looked into his eyes, "I think I'm falling in love with you too, Damon. I know it's crazy because I've only known you for two days, but it feels like I've known you for an entire lifetime."

Damon nodded in agreement with earnesty in his eyes and pinned her body under his, pressing his lips against hers. Elena responded, threading her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. He began to kiss down her body, but she stopped him, pulling his lips against hers again.

"_Please, Damon. I need you," _she whispered against his lips.

He wrapped her legs around his waist, and gently entered her, surprised to find her already dripping with arousal. Damon set a slow rhythm, and Elena's hips met his every thrust. Their bodies were so close to each other that it was hard to tell where Damon's body ended and where Elena's began. They stayed in a passionate kiss, exploring each other's mouths. Yesterday, they fucked, but today, they made love.

"_I'm close," _Elena moaned.

Damon pulled one of her legs over his shoulder and drove into her deeper, hitting her g-spot. Elena's body began to shake from the magnitude of pleasure, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"_I want to see you, Elena."_

She opened her eyes and met his icy blue ones. The intensity of his gaze sent her over. Her walls tightened around him, and Damon went over the edge with her. The two of them laid there for the next few minutes, trying to catch their breath.

"I need to prepare for the surprise that I have planned for you tonight. As soon as I'm done, we can get right back to this," he said before giving her a chaste kiss.

Elena got dressed, and decided to go explore some more. She ended up in the library and stared at all of the leather-bound books at her disposal. She skimmed through a couple before a certain one caught her eye-it was a journal-_Damon's great-great-great grandfather's journal._ She flipped through the pages until one name caught her attention-_Katherine._

_Today is the beginning and the end of my life. Today is the day that I wed my dearest Katherine, and the day that she has left me to go join the angels in the heavens above. And I will join thee soon._

Elena sat there, rereading the passage over and over again in confusion. If Damon's great-great-great grandfather committed suicide and never remarried, how did Damon exist?


	4. Chapter 4

Elena had read the journal from cover to cover, looking for more clues that would explain Damon's existence-child out of wedlock? Nope. Child from another woman? Nope. There was nothing.

_Could her Damon be his "great-great-great grandfather"? _Was that even possible? The man in the painting was identical to him...but that would mean that Damon was over 150 years old...unless…

_Was Damon dead? _His potential journal did say that he had killed himself. _But how could that even be possible? _Damon was living and breathing and…

A dim memory flashed through Elena's mind. Her head resting on his chest, about to fall asleep, hearing no heartbeat…

Elena was officially going crazy. There had to be a logical explanation to explain all of this. She would have to confront him about it tonight.

A mental exhaustion weighed her down. She would have time to go through all of the possibilities later. A few minutes of resting her eyes couldn't hurt…

_Elena felt warm. Free. Peaceful. This must be what death feels like. She gazed down at the Earth below her, and saw what Damon was about to do. He was wielding a dagger, and it was positioned right above his heart. Elena wanted to call out to him-to tell him that she was happy-but Damon wouldn't be able to hear her anyway. He plunged the blade into his chest and fell to the floor. He murmured one last word, "Katherine." _

_ She sighed. Damon did not know the fate that he had just condemned himself to. Without letting go of her, he would be cursed to walk the Earth between the realms of the living and the dead until he could achieve peace by himself._

Elena slowly opened her eyes. _She felt at peace._ Her dream was oddly comforting to her-she no longer feared the uncertainty of death. _Death is peace._

Darkness flooded through the windows of the library. Damn, she must have been asleep for a few hours. She slowly rose from the chair that she was curled up in and padded around the house in search of Damon. _Elena needed answers._

She found him in his room, looking debonair in what looked like a tuxedo from the nineteenth century.

"Damon, there's something that I need to talk to you about."

"Talking can wait. There's something that I need to show you first."

He took her hand in his and guided her towards her own room. Laying on her bed was a magnificent blue ball gown made of satin and white gloves that were elbow length.

"Put this on and come join me in the ballroom," he smiled.

Elena did as she was told and appraised her appearance in the mirror. The shade of blue really made her dark hair and eyes pop against her skin. She combed through her hair with her fingers, letting it fall in loose waves down her back. _She truly looked beautiful. _Elena stared harder at herself in the mirror. _There was something about the way she looked at the moment that seemed really familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint it in her memory._

She made her way to the ballroom and met Damon who was waiting for her at the entrance.

"Elena...you look so beautiful."

She blushed. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Shall we?"

He took her hand and opened the mahogany double doors. Elena gasped at the transformation of the ballroom-the floors were lined with rose petals and the soft, flickering lights of candles. Damon brought her out into the center of the dance floor and one arm moved to her waist while the other stayed clasped in her hand. They waltzed for awhile, but then moved into swaying side to side. Elena rested her head against his chest while he played with her hair. Suddenly, a wave of déjà vu came over Elena, and she stopped dancing.

"Are you alright, Elena?"

"Have we done this before? I just have this gut feeling that we've danced like this before…" she trailed off.

Damon took her face in his hands and stared directly into her eyes. Hope filled his icy blue eyes. "Elena, earlier you said you were having dreams that felt like you had already lived them...do you remember?"

It was like there was a box of memories were hidden in her brain, and someone had finally given her the key to unlock it. Forgotten memories surged through Elena's mind then darkness. _Her name was Katherine. Her father was a wealthy plantation owner a few miles away. She met Damon at the town's annual barbecue-it was love at first sight. They were married two months later. They spent the whole night dancing until...she was running. There was pain. Then nothing. Then a warmth..._

She woke up on the ground with a concerned looking Damon hovering over her. He took her hand and rubbed it in comfort.

"Damon..._I remember."_

Tears streamed out of her eyes against her will. She pulled his face down to hers and crushed her lips against his with a new ferocity. He instantly returned the kiss with the same fervor.

He pulled back and caressed her cheek. "What do you remember, Elena?"

"We fell in love and got married...oh God, Damon...I was murdered on our wedding night."

Damon pulled her body to his and hugged her tightly against him. "Anything else?" he whispered.

"I remember _this warmth. And no pain. _I remember watching you, Damon. God, why did kill yourself?"

"_I couldn't live life another minute without you."_

Elena's eyes softened, and she pulled back to look into his eyes. "Damon, you're not supposed to be here on the mortal plane. You're supposed to _move on."_

"I guess this is the universe giving me a second chance. _A chance_ _to be with you."_

Elena was unsure of what to do. On one hand, she should force Damon to move on-_to achieve peace_. It was the right thing to do. But on the other..._she had reunited with her love. _And Elena wasn't ready to let him go yet.

"I know this seems sudden, but I've loved you for the past 150 years…" Damon pulled out a box from his coat pocket, "...and I will continue to love you forever in any form you may be in."

"_Damon…" _she sighed.

"Will you marry me, Elena?" He opened the box, revealing a simple diamond ring.

Elena gasped. _That was her ring_. She hadn't seen it since...well, since she had died as Katherine. She looked into his eyes and the word came out without a second thought: _"Yes."_


	5. Chapter 5

Damon slid the ring on her fourth finger, and looked at her with shining eyes. "_I love you, Elena."_

"_I love you too," _she responded, tears of happiness prickling her eyes.

After years of feeling incomplete, Elena finally felt whole-she was reunited with her _soulmate._ She caressed his cheekbone, and crushed her lips against his in a soft kiss. Damon reciprocated, pulling her body flush to his and deepening the kiss. Elena ran her fingers through his raven hair and lightly tugged, eliciting a groan from him.

They slowly made their way to the hardwood floor, and Elena gently pushed Damon down and straddled his hips. His hands ran over her body, making it hard for her to think. _She needed him, more than anything else in the world. _Elena ripped the gloves off of her hands, and pulled him into a searing kiss. She popped a few of his shirt buttons open and ran her hands down his muscular chest while he made work of untying the strings that held her dress closed. They managed to shed all of their clothes, and Damon flipped them so that Elena was pinned underneath him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and grinded against him. His lips passionately molded against hers as their tongues fought for dominance. Damon kissed down her jaw to her neck, leaving Elena breathy and wanting more.

"_Please Damon," _she almost whined.

He pushed into her in one stroke while clasping her hand in his. Elena cried out in pleasure, her back arching into him. They both kept up a fast pace, desperately seeking release.

"_Harder…" _Elena breathily called.

Damon gripped her thighs and drove into her deeper. Her legs began to violently shake from the pent up pressure.

"_Look at me, Elena."_

She met his icy blue eyes in the dim candlelight and saw the love held in them. Intense emotions of love and adoration ripped through Elena, making it too much for her to bear. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her walls pulsated around him. Damon lost himself in her, and the two of them laid down on the hardwood trying to catch their breath. Elena snuggled into his side and felt her eyes drift shut.

* * *

"Mom, I know it sounds crazy, but Damon is the one. These have been the best few weeks of my life, and if you can't accept that then...no, you know that I want you and Dad to be there more than anything. _I need your support on this._ Ok, bye."

A tear rolled down Elena's cheek and she sunk deeper into couch cushions. She knew going into the dreaded conversation with her parents that they wouldn't approve. To them, Elena was marrying a stranger. But to Elena, she was remarrying the love of all of her lives-_past and present_.

She felt the couch shift, and she was pulled into a pair of strong arms. Elena wept into his chest as he stroked her hair, giving her time to let it out. After a few minutes, Damon finally spoke.

"Are you sure that marriage is what you want, Elena? Your parents are very important to you, and I hate seeing you so unhappy, baby."

Elena wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at him, "Of course, I still want to get married to you, Damon. You're the love of my life. It's just hard that I can't explain to my parents that you were my husband in my past life."

Damon nodded, and pulled her even closer to him. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled.

* * *

The next few weeks were filled with wedding planning. Elena wanted their wedding to be _perfect._ Sure, their last wedding had been pretty damn close to being perfect, except the memory was marred with _her death. _It was a difficult topic for her to think about, but it was even harder on Damon-just the thought of him losing her again destroyed him.

"What do you think, Damon: the red roses or the white ones?"

"Anything that you pick is perfect to me."

Elena pretended to glare at him: "That's not helpful."

Damon held his hands up in surrender. "What can I say, the first wedding that you planned was perfect and the second one will be too."

"I remember you being this unhelpful the first time. If I can remember correctly, your exact words were "_Katherine, all I need is you, me, and a pastor to officiate." _Very unhelpful."

"And those words still are true, Elena. _All I need is you."_

Elena's eyes softened at his words, "_All I need is you too, Damon."_

Their lips crushed together in a searing kiss, and it was safe to assume that no other wedding planning happened that afternoon.

* * *

Elena stood in front of the dressing room mirror, examining every angle of the white dress she was wearing. She stepped out of the room and showed the dress to her best friend, Caroline.

"I don't know about this one either, Care. It just feels like something is missing."

Caroline narrowed her eyes and thoroughly analyzed the wedding dress. "I think you're right, Lena. Give me one sec…" Caroline was already back at the racks before she could finish her thought.

She had another wedding dress slung over her shoulder within two minutes and handed it to Elena. She slipped it on and appraised her appearance in the mirror. _It was perfect._ Its cream color made her olive skin glow, its snug fit accentuated all of her curves, and its lace and long sleeves gave a very romantic vibe to the dress. Damon was going to have a very hard time keeping his hands off of her in this dress. _She pictured him ripping it off of her…_

Elena stepped out and presented it to Caroline. Caroline sat there speechless with tears in her eyes. The two of them hugged until Elena finally spoke: "Now, we can go look for your maid of honor dress, Care!"

Caroline started to cry harder.

* * *

_The day was finally here._ She stood outside the church doors holding a bouquet of red roses with her dad by her side. Her parents had finally given in once they realized how serious she was about Damon. _Damon._ He was waiting for her just a couple of yards away…

She heard the music begin, and Elena began her steady walk down the aisle with her dad's arm around hers. All of their guests stood in the pews, smiling at her. Her mom, her high school and college friends, she had even invited her ex-boyfriend, Stefan. Sure, they were exes, but they stayed somewhat friends over the past few years.

Elena finally reached the altar, and her dad placed her hands into Damon's. They stared at each other with shining eyes until they heard the pastor clear his throat. The pastor told them their vows, and they repeated them happily.

"I, Damon, take you, Elena, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death."

"I, Elena, take you, Damon, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death."

The pastor declared them as husband and wife, and Elena threw her arms around his neck-bouquet and all-and crushed her lips against his. Damon dipped her body, and their guests stood up and applauded the happy couple.

The rest of the evening rushed by-they ate steak dinners, shoved cake into each other's faces, and performed the garter and bouquet tosses. Caroline was the one to catch the bouquet of red roses, and Elena winked at her blushing face.

They had their first dance to "At Last" by Etta James-Elena had introduced Damon to more "modern" music. After, Elena was passed around to all of her guests: her dad, her mom, all of her aunts and uncles, her old neighbors, and finally Stefan.

Her and Stefan awkwardly swayed side to side in silence before he spoke: "Can I talk to you somewhere private for a second?"

"Yeah, sure." Elena led him from the ballroom to one of the many random bedrooms in the house.

"Elena, how could you marry a guy that you've literally only known for a few weeks? Do you realize how stupid that is?" He grabbed onto the tops of her arms roughly in a steel grip.

"Ow, Stefan. And it is none of your business what I do with my life. I know you are probably still harbouring some bad feelings from our breakup, but that doesn't give you the right to come here and ruin my wedding."

Stefan didn't let go of her arms. Instead he leaned in closer, and Elena could smell the alcohol in his breath. "You're right, Elena. Maybe I am still harbouring some bad feelings from our breakup. Maybe I should show you…" he murmured.

Adrenaline and fear shot through Elena's body while she tried to remember her basic self-defense training. She kicked him in his soft spot and tried to make her escape. But it didn't faze Stefan for long. He was hot on her heels as she ran down the corridor. Elena tripped over the train of her dress and fell face first to the hardwood floor. She kicked off her heels and kept on running.

Elena found Damon's bedroom and ran into it, locking the door behind her. She let out a sigh of relief against the door and wiped away the tears that stung her eyes. The door began to thump, and Elena frantically searched the dark room for a weapon. _It was no use._ The door slammed open, and Stefan pushed Elena hard into the floor. He hovered over her aching body and held a knife against her throat. Tears streamed out of Elena's eyes as she prayed for a savior.

He pushed up her dress, and Elena's body began to shake in fear. This brought a sadistic smile to Stefan's face. As Stefan began unzipping the fly of his pants, he suddenly got pushed off of Elena by a dark figure. Elena looked at her savior's face and was met by icy blue eyes. _Damon._

The relief didn't last long. Stefan recovered and tackled Damon. The two of them fell to the ground and began wrestling. The fighting suddenly stopped, and all Elena could see was blood. She finally let out the breath she was holding when she saw Stefan with a knife plunged into his heart. A victorious Damon rolled off of him, but Elena's heart dropped when she saw him-_blood was pouring out of a wound in his chest._

Elena instantly rushed to Damon's side, tears pouring out of her eyes. She put her hands on the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"_It's going to be ok, Elena."_

"How's it going to be ok, Damon? _You're dying."_

"I was never even alive in the first place," he told her.

Elena looked at him in confusion. He closed his eyes and his body was replaced with a ghostly figure. She tried to touch him, but her hand went straight through him. "Damon...I don't understand."

"My soul was stuck inside of the house after I died 150 years ago. When you came to the mansion, my spirit was woken up, and I was able to have a physical presence on the Earth again."

"So what happens to you now, Damon? Can't you get your body back again?"

His ghostly fingers brushed away the hair that fell into her face and tucked it behind her ear. "_I feel at peace knowing that I was able to save able to save your life this time. There is this warmth that is pulling me away from you…"_

Elena instantly knew what Damon was describing. She had felt it when she had died as Katherine. "_You're going to heaven, Damon."_

Damon had a peaceful look on his face. "_Never forget that I love you, Elena. Forever."_

_Damon was gone._ She smacked her blood covered hands on the floor in anger. _How was this fair? The universe was playing a cruel joke on her. _At her first wedding, she was killed. And now at her second, _Damon was. _The realization sent sobs to wrack through her body, leaving her hyperventilating on the floor.

Elena looked around the room, and her eyes fell onto the large painting of Damon hung up on the wall. She made her way over to it and stroked the brush marks of her deceased husband. The painting calmed her in a way-it almost felt like he was there with her again.

In a trance like state, Elena walked out of the room and out of the mansion. She stood there outside in her blood stained wedding dress and took in the October chill. She stared up at the stars, knowing that Damon was looking down at her.

"_I love you too, Damon. Forever. I'll see you in our next life together." _

_The End_

* * *

Thank you guys so much for the nice reviews! It really motivates me to write more!


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